Dan Cole to retire after 2024/25 season

Veteran Leicester Tigers prop Dan Cole has announced that he will retire from professional rugby at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, bringing to a close an extraordinary career that has spanned nearly two decades.

Cole, who has become a cornerstone of Leicester Tigers, has made 340 senior appearances for the club since graduating from its Academy.

In his early years, he gained valuable experience on loan with Bedford Blues, where he played 34 games over two seasons, and Nottingham, where he featured in five matches.

His senior debut came in October 2007 against Bath in what was then known as the EDF Energy Cup.

Since then, he has played almost 50 additional non-capped matches for Tigers and earned a reputation as one of the game’s most consistent and enduring front-row players.

Cole's first major club success came in the 2008/09 season, where he became a regular starter and helped Leicester secure the Premiership title.

Over the years, he would win three more Premiership championships (2009/10, 2012/13, and 2021/22) and two Anglo-Welsh Cups (2012, 2017), becoming a key figure in the club’s dominance of English rugby.

On the international stage, Cole earned 118 caps for England — the second-highest for the men’s team behind Ben Youngs. His debut came during the 2010 Six Nations opener against Wales.

He featured in four consecutive Rugby World Cups (2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023), including the 2019 final. He also won three Six Nations titles (2011, 2016, 2017).

Cole’s international résumé also includes two tours with the British & Irish Lions.

He played in all three Tests during the 2013 series against Australia and was selected again in 2017 for the tour of New Zealand, making a total of 14 appearances across both tours.

Announcing his retirement, Cole shared, “It has not been an easy decision at all. I have been to-ing and fro-ing; however, I think this is the best time for me to finish playing.”

He pointed to the upcoming transition at Leicester Tigers, including Geoff Parling’s arrival as Head Coach and the concurrent retirements of teammates like Ben Youngs and Julián Montoya, as factors in his decision.

“This is what I have done and what I have known every day for the past twenty years and so, the easy thing would have been to sign for a year and keep playing, but it’s the right thing to do. It is a really tough decision to make but I know it’s the right one.”

He also acknowledged the physical demands of the game and the generational shift in the locker room: “I don’t want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long.”

Cole emphasized that he’s not finished just yet: “Most important to me, today when I announce it, is that it’s clear it is not over yet. This is about finishing my career at the end of our season.

"There is still hopefully a few more games left for me to play this season.”

Looking ahead, Cole expressed deep appreciation for his time at Leicester: “This place means a lot to me. I have made some great memories with some great people at Leicester Tigers… when I do look back on it properly at the end, I know I won’t want to change anything about it.”